May 7, 2018

Page 1

WHITTLE DOES IT BIG: Megan Whittle commands field, leading Terps to Big Ten tournament championship win, p. 12

KID GORGEOUS: John Mulaney shines in his new Netflix special, showing off his gorgeous storytelling, p. 9

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M circle will be relocated release. The new M will be in place prior to the removal of the old one, according to the release. “We understand how important by [the] M Circle is to the Terp longer serve as a traffic circle, but The University community, and have ensured that will instead be a decorative mound o f M a r y l a n d Jillian Atelsek our campus will never be without near the Mitchell Building in the announced Friday @jillian_atelsek its treasured M, ” the release read. Engineering Fields, according to that its iconic Senior staff writer Construction on the Purple Line “M” circle will be a draft digital rendering provided — an above-ground light rail that rebuilt to accommodate for Purple by university officials. Construction on the new circle will extend from Bethesda to New Line construction. The M — which has been on is expected to begin in the fall, Carrollton — is slated to begin this this campus since 1976 — will no according to a university news summer and finish in two to three

Landmark will move this fall to make room for Purple Line

the new location of the M Circle will be by the Mitchell Building. It will no longer be a traffic circle. photo courtesy of division of administration & finance

years, with the line itself expected to open in 2022. The Purple Line will include five stops on or near this university’s campus. The new M circle will “still be in a place of prominence,” the press release read, and its location “will provide safer access for iconic photos, no longer requiring people to walk across a busy traffic circle to capture memories.” jatelsekdbk@gmail.com

graduate students

DOTS to slash shuttle bus routes Cuts include weekend service to Metro station The University of Maryland’s DOTS announced Matt Perez multiple bus route cuts @mxbperez and reductions Tuesday to Staff writer compensate for a budget deficit of at least $700,000, Executive Director David Allen said. Starting July 1, the #142 Columbia Park & Ride route will be completely eliminated, as will weekend service for the #104 College Park Metro Station route and the #133 Mall at Prince George’s route. The cuts will also limit weekend service for the #116 Purple, #117 Blue, #118 Gold and #122 Green routes to after 5:30 p.m., according to the Department of Transportation Services announcement. “There really are no good service reduction options because all of our routes … they really do serve part of the university community,” said DOTS spokesperson Cara Fleck. Additionally, some routes will see a decrease in bus frequency during weekdays, including #104 College Park Metro Station, #143 Greenbelt and #105 Campus Connector, the announcement said. The time between buses for the Metro station and the Campus Connector routes will increase by two to four minutes, while the Greenbelt route will increase by 50 minutes, according to the announcement. The budget shortfall was caused partly by a decrease in campus parking availability due to new construction such as the expansion of Cole Field House. This will create a decrease in visitor parking revenue for the department. The deficit is also due in part to the planned construction of an underground parking garage near Chapel Field, which is expected to begin early next year and take about two years, Allen said. This semester, the Committee for Review of Student Fees rejected a DOTS proposal for a $47 increase in commuter parking fees and a $97 increase in resident parking fees that by

See DOTS, p. 8

krithika mutuguppe, a cybersecurity masters student, lives in Graduate Hills and will be affected by the rent increase. She’s also helping to develop a petition. Elliot Scarangello / The Diamondback

housing headache With a $37 rent hike next year, graduate students fear steep prices will impact studies By Angela Roberts | @24_angier | Staff writer

O

n top of finals this semester, first-year University of Maryland graduate student Sarayu Raghunandan has to worry about an increase in rent for her two-bedroom apartment in Graduate Gardens. “Coming at this point in time, at the end of the semester when we ’re a l l h av i n g o u r exa m s, it’s kind of big news for us,” said Raghunandan, a project management master’s student

who shares her apartment with three roommates. From 2016 to 2017, rent at Graduate H ills and Graduate Gardens — the only designated graduate housing communities partnered with this university, according to the Department of Resident Life’s website — increased by $14 per month. This year, the rent will increase by $37 per month starting in July. Each year, before the rent

is finalized in May, Southern Management and university representatives hold a forum to address student concerns and answer questions. This is not to negotiate rent, but to hear feedback, said Dennis PassarellaGeorge, Resident Life associate director for South Campus. Jeff Reader, the apartments’ p ro p e r ty m a n a ge r, w ro te i n See rent, p. 3

administration

Amid diversity concerns, Loh affirms new policies Initial campuswide climate survey results suggest some minority groups feel unsafe on campus

Univ president approves diversity task force’s recommendations involving threatening acts

The University of Maryland Leah Brennan announced Thursday the @allhaelleah preliminary results of its Senior staff writer diversity campus climate survey, which indicated safety and inclusion concerns among some minority respondents. T h e a n a lys i s n o te d ra c i a l - e t h n i c differences among the students, faculty and staff surveyed, related to “belongingness, feeling welcomed, and satisfaction with the decision” to come here. Latinx and black participants reported they felt less attached to this university than white and Asian participants.

Un ive rs i ty o f M a r yl a n d Leah Brennan President Wallace Loh signed @allhaelleah r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s m a d e Senior staff writer b y t h e c a m p u s d i v e r s i t y ta s k fo rce , a cco rd i n g to a Thursday news release. The recommendations include a policy prohibiting “threatening or intimidating acts motivated in whole or in part because of an individual or group’s actual or perceived protected status,” as well as the adoption of university values statements affirming unity and the protection of free speech, while encouraging community members to “consider the harm that may result from the use of slurs

by

Respondents who identified as people of color, women and gender non-binary were concerned about their personal safety. To counteract this, the university p l a n s to i n c rea se se c u r i ty ca m e ra s and police patrols, as well as adding i n fo r m a t i o n a n a lys i s u n i t s ta f f i n g , according to the summary. Survey analysis also suggested further discourse, actions and resource investment will be necessary to foster a sense of community, the released summary read. In response, the Office of Diversity and

calendar 2 OPINION 4 FEATURES 5 city 6 diversions 9 SPORTS 12

See SURVEY, p. 8

by

Submit tips and corrections to The Diamondback at newsumdbk@gmail.com

or disparaging epithets.” The Joint President and University Senate Inclusion and Respect Task Force, which was formed following the fatal stabbing of 2nd Lt. Richard Collins on this university’s campus last May, released its recommendations on April 17. They were approved by the University Senate on April 24. Recommendations also included conducting campus climate surveys every two years. The first comprehensive version of such a survey was opened in late January, and a preliminary analysis of survey results was released See TASK FORCE, p. 3

The Diamondback is a publication of Maryland Media Inc.


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May 7, 2018 by The Diamondback - Issuu